Ash
Plan Bee Farm Brewery

Bottled 1/20/21

It’s been over 2 years since I had my last (and first) Plan Bee beer. They’re usually quite expensive, but this one sounded so good that I had to splurge. I love darker Wild Ales, they just display a really nice balance to the tartness. Let’s crack this one open and see if it does the same

Pours an opaque medium brown with 2 fingers of creamy light tan head that slowly fades to a cap and leaves decent lacing

The nose has a nice sharpness but the dark malts really round it out nicely. I’m picking up on aromas of red wine vinegar, brown sugar, dark bread, burnt coffee, lemon zest, toasted oak, and light tobacco

In taste it’s even more sharp, but never overly acidic. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting tannic red wine, lemon juice, raisin, brown sugar, dark bread, black cherry, and light smoke. The swallow brings notes of toasted oak, dark toast, burnt coffee, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, raisin, and light tobacco

A light medium body pairs with gentle gentle carbonation, resulting in a sharp and roasty beer. Finishes bone dry with a balanced tartness

This one is quite strange, it’s interesting in its balance and damn good for it. It’s tempting me to splurge on these bottles more often

Dark brown color. Big, off-white head. Funky aroma with notes of earth, spices, dark fruits, and roast. Sour the taste with spices and roasted notes at the end.

 

Dark color with a tan head, that barely sticks around. Nose is pungent as is the taste, but neither in a bad way. Very good Farm house ale, and they are not my typical style.

Bottled 1/20/21; drank 12/25/22 @ Pokemon Communion.

Dark brown appearance.

A GUSHER when opened, which settled into a small tan head; frothy lace.

Black pepper, tart cherry & mild smoke notes in the nose.

Medium thin mouthfeel.

Black pepper & tart cherry flavors up front; oak notes on the finish.

Tart but balanced; I enjoyed this.

Bottled 1/20/21. As dark as a stout with a good sized head that settles down to a long lasting cap. But this is a wild ale, not a stout. Very aromatic with vinegar, black cherry, barley & charred oak. Moderately sour, almost tart with a little bit of bitter. Fairly complex flavor: vinegar, black cherries covered in dark chocolate, mildly smoked grain, lots of oak flavors, red wine, biscuit & a fair amount of funk. Good carbonation, medium viscosity & not much alcohol detected. Very interesting, very thirst quenching & delicious!

A curious, time-influenced beer on behalf of Evan. 100% NYS Dark Barn Beer, coolship-cooled overnight on the longest night of the calendar year.

First was the somewhat inevitable brettanomyces gush. Having settled that and poured it into a glass (I used a belgian snifter for this) it presents a very dark brown color. A half turn darker Cola with less clarity. There is also some unpleasant yeast debris in the bottom of the glass. The foam is modest but consistent, sticky and composed entirely of ultra fine bubbles.

Funky aromas have some slightly chocolate to them as well. It matches with it very evenly, I'm surprised the dark barley comes through so clearly. Further aromatic notes I get are that of fresh ashtray, pine, and bark.

The palate is not very strong here, and doesn't follow the aroma either all that closely. Notes of rhubarb and dusty dark malts are there but they feel suppressed by the acidity.

A nice sourness sits throughout the beer and it is very crisp. Nothing acetic or vinegary or out of place. Nothing is out of place with carbonation either, which is lively and refreshing.

A beer that is expressly of a time and place to the nth degree. I like its enticing aromas and great drinkability the most, and I can imagine it would appeal more to people who actively want to seek out *darker* sour beers, maybe lovers of Oud Bruins too?